Cascade Microtech collaborates with Lake Shore Cryotronics
Cascade Microtech, a supplier of precision wafer-level measurement equipment, has announced its latest MeasureOne solutions partner - Lake Shore Cryotronics, which specialises in measurement under variable temperature and magnetic field conditions.
Cascade's MeasureOne program is dedicated to identifying and collaborating with suppliers offering complementary technology and products that represent the best of breed in any particular category.
This particular collaboration aims to accelerate the time to first device measurement where early stage research on semiconductor and magnetic materials typically requires testing in extreme cold and magnetic flux.
Both companies offer cryogenic probe stations but their respective platforms differ in functionality and address different stages of the R&D lifecycle. Lake Shore's probe stations are used in the earliest phases of new semiconductor and magnetic materials R&D. Its platform features align with the limited size and number of samples being measured, as well as the need to probe at the lowest possible temperatures (below 10K) and within high magnetic fields (often over 2T), where sample stages are generally fixed in position.
Cascade Microtech's probe stations are focused on the next phases of device development, where multiple copies of devices have now been constructed. Its platform features align with a larger wafer size and number of devices, as well as a need to replicate measurements across those many devices. Sample stages are moveable in a manual or semi-automated fashion.
"Our mission is focused on enabling the advancement of science," said Michael Swartz, president and CEO of Lake Shore. "Our customers begin their research of new semiconductor and magnetic materials at very low temperatures and high fields, where our probe stations excel. This partnership offers customers a smooth transition from the research lab into full-scale semiconductor device development, combining the significant complementary expertise of both companies."
"This latest MeasureOne alliance connects customers with best-of-breed cryogenic measurement solutions that extend all the way from basic materials research in the lab to wafer-scale production," said Michael Burger, president and CEO, Cascade Microtech. "We're both fully acquainted with each other's capabilities and understand just where to position customers within the overall space that we jointly address. Together we can deliver a level of technical know-how second to none for cryogenic probing, even in high magnetic fields."
Moving forward, the collaboration is expected to bolster the product lines of both companies through shared research and technology. Cascade Microtech's radio frequency to Terahertz probing know-how is a natural fit with Lake Shore's focused expertise on measurements near the bottom of the Kelvin scale and in very high magnetic fields. Similarly, Lake Shore's cryogen-free technology and magnetic field expertise may have future applicability in Cascade Microtech's highly-automated cryogenic probe stations.
